Unpredictable
by Fat Puppy
Summary: A pre-TPM Star Wars story with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Qui-Gon finds his apprentice practicing an odd Force exercise.


**Unpredictable **

_**SUMMARY**__**: A pre-TPM Star Wars story with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Qui-Gon finds his apprentice practicing an odd Force exercise.**_

* * *

A Jedi Master walked into a room. A Jedi Padawan was in that room standing on his head. Thus began the day.

Qui-Gon Jinn started curiously at his apprentice from across the space. He didn't think the boy noticed he was there, though he should have. Whatever he was doing was not important enough to lose focus to see what was around you. Nevertheless, he asked the obvious question.

"Obi-Wan, what in the far reaches of the Force are you doing?"

With a red face and a pained unturned expression, Kenobi responded to his teacher. "Oh hi, Master. I'm meditating. Or I _was_. Right now, I'm talking to you."

"Yes, I see that, and...must I ask the question again?"

"You want to know why I am upside down."

"That would be the question, yes."

"Our meditation master this morning had us work on _empty mediation_ skills. She said that if we can completely empty our minds and stand on our heads at the same time, then our focus would enable us to utilize the Force in ways we've not yet known."

Disbelief fell across the older Jedi and Qui-Gon could only shake his head. "Were you by any chance training with Master Gy'nul?"

"We were. How did you know?"

"Because..." Jinn stopped, unwilling to continue to have this discussion while his apprentice was inverted in the living area of their apartment. "Would you please turn yourself over and sit like a normal being?"

Obi-Wan did so, carefully lowering his legs and the crossing them in front once he was correctly vertical. "How did you know it was Master Gy'nul?"

"Because she enjoys humoring herself by making her students engage in foolish exercises that serve absolutely no purpose other than to make those same students look

like idiots."

"Idiots? That's a bit harsh, Master."

"We're you able to empty your mind, stand on your head and utilize new Force abilities?"

"I was not. Standing on one's head is quite painful. And I spent most of the time thinking about the headache it was giving me rather than actually emptying my...oh..." Realization hit the boy. "I see. Okay. Well..."

"Feel foolish?"

"I do."

"Have a headache?"

"I do."

"Learn a lesson?"

Reluctantly. "I did."

"Would you like to _correctly_ learn about empty meditation?" The question was a serious one.

"I would. Will you teach me?"

"As long as you stay right side up and forget all that nonsense that Gy'nul taught you today."

A nod as Obi-Wan agreed. "She's a highly respected Jedi Master, isn't she?"

"She is, but she's well known for her facetious side. It's why so many take her classes. There's no tedious boredom that many your age see in meditation. But it also means she can manipulate young minds easier than most. Give a young padawan excitement and sometimes common sense goes right out the door. I assume she had you doing other things in class like suggesting that breathing in sync to a particular pulsation would increase your Force ability to move objects at faster speeds?"

Obi-Wan shied at the suggestion. "Well, yes. She did

say that, and we did try it and it was...a disaster. We all thought we were just doing it wrong when objects starting flying in random directions around the room. Padawan Teigh was hit in the...well...the groin...with a data-pad. It looked painful, Master. I mean _really_ painful. Then Gy'nul told us to go home and practice and, oh wow, we really _are_ gullible, aren't we?"

"Indeed." There was amusement behind Qui-Gon's words. "More so than I believed you to be."

"Master. Wait...really?"

"No, not really. I suppose you'll be more careful the next time you sign up for a class simply to avoid being bored between missions."

"My headache convinced me of that." Pulling himself

from the floor and into their small kitchenette, Obi-Wan removed a cool drink from the chiller. "I have lightsaber drills in an hour, so you are thinking I should meditate to try and heal my own headache, aren't you?"

Head cocked to the side, Qui-Gon moved himself to where his apprentice now stood sipping his drink and rubbing his temple. "Normally I would say yes, but as you should probably stay away from any attempted healing trance at the moment - you do realize you are not very good at those yet - here. I will help you."

Qui-Gon reached a hand toward Obi-Wan's temple and pressed his fingers to the side. Eyes closed, Qui-Gon descended rapidly into a state of healthy mind. That he could go so deeply within mere seconds, always amazed the apprentice. Qui-Gon could sink into depths unknown as if it was nothing more than sitting down to a meal.

Obi-Wan was aware that it wasn't quite that simple, and there was much going on behind veiled eyes, but it still impressed him every time.

A few quiet moments passed, the boy allowed the healing to work, the soft touch to his head eventually relented.

"Better?" Qui-Gon asked, pulling away.

"Much. Thank you, Master. I need to tighten up on my healing as well. I am aware that it's a weak spot for me."

"You are quite young yet with many areas to improve, it's why you should spend your downtime studying and not not flailing about in Gy'nul's classes, though I suspect the lesson you learned will keep."

"Oh, it will definitely keep."

"Good. We may have a mission upcoming soon, so be prepared to leave in a moment's notice. Yoda seems to think the Council will have us heading to an Outer Rim planet to assist in the setting up of an outpost. Apparently the area that must be traveled is populated by hundreds of Krykna that do have a nasty habit of catching and eventually devouring anything that travels it's path."

Obi-Wan's eyes went huge as the drink almost spilled from his hand. "Master! Giant spiders? You cannot say yes to that mission. You know how I feel about spiders. And Krykna cannot be manipulated with the Force. Not to mention, they're just flat out mean. And giant. Did I mention giant?"

"If we are assigned, we must go. You must face your fears at some point, Obi-Wan."

"Giant Force resistant spiders, Master. Must I say it again?"

The smile on Qui-Gon's face told Obi-Wan he was enjoying this conversation far too much.

And he was. "Krykna are vulnerable to lightsabers and they can be repelled by sensor beacons. All we need

do is set up a perimeter they cannot pass, help the people set up the outpost and arrive home no worse

for the wear."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, you conveniently forgot the part about we need to avoid being abducted, wrapped in a cocoon of death and then have the life sucked out of us in a dark underground cavern. You forgot that part."

"You'll be fine. Didn't you say you had lightsaber drills upcoming?"

The drink he'd been sipping on, Obi-Wan set back in the chiller for later. "I did. I do. I suspect that I'll take a beating by whoever I end up sparing with now that I have nothing but Krykna on my mind. Thank you for that, Master."

"You are most welcome. I will see you later this afternoon then."

"Not if I run away and join a spider-free clan you won't."

"You do keep me entertained, Padawan. Do well in your drills. If I have time, I may stop by to see the sparring."

This time Obi-Wan offered an eye roll. First spiders, then the pressure of one of the most respected swordsman in the galaxy watching him spar.

"Master..."

"You've become excellent with the saber, Obi-Wan. Be proud of all of your accomplishments. Well, except for the spider thing."

Several battles lost at this point, Kenobi gave it up.

"I would be honored to have you watch me during lightsaber drills."

"Much better."

Another grin. Qui-Gon was definitely playing with his head today, even though he'd fixed it moments ago.

"I should go now, Master. You've quite confused me this morning. More so than usual."

Qui-Gon cocked his head to the side. "I am anything but predictable or typical, Obi-Wan. Run along now."

He did. Run along. Though he turned back several times in the corridor, absolutely certain that there were dark eight-legged shapes trailing him to the sparring gym.

It had been a weird morning. The rest of the day and upcoming mission, especially as the apprentice to the Order's most unconventional Jedi, would no doubt be more of the same - the _unpredictable_ version of the same, of course.

At this point in his apprenticeship, Obi-Wan expected no less from the venerable man that was his mentor, teacher and friend, Qui-Gon Jinn.

* * *

END

(maybe a sequel at some point?)


End file.
